Magnetic holder for pencils or the like



Dec. 1, 1964 J. J. MCINTOSH MAGNETIC HOLDER FOR PENCILS OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 5, 1961 United States Patent 3,159,372 MAGNETEC KENULS I QR THE .l'oseph it. Mclntosh, 3% 8. Court House Are, Carlisle, lla. Filed .lan. 5, 1961, I le. dtlfidil 2- Claims. (all. 2-8--359) The invention relates to a magnetic pencil holder, or a holder for other slender objects, particularly intended for holding such objects on a base of ferrous material, such as a memorandum board, a telephone index or the like.

Magnetic pencil holders as heretofore made have normally consisted of a metal tube, which is split, crimped or otherwise arranged so as to grip a pencil or a similar obiect, and a bar magnet of metallic material secured to the tubular member, as by welding or the like. Such devices, while relatively cheap, still involve certain production problems, requiring a metal press and die and also requiringassembly of the parts after the tubular member has been completed.

A primary obiect of the present invention is to provide an extremely simple and inexpensive magnetic pencil holder, which requires no assembly operations, which contains no metallic tube or the like and which can be produced in large quantities extremely cheaply.

A further object'ot the invention is to provide a pencil holder in which the pencil is held by the friction of a rubbery material which also serves as the magnet.

In general, the invention" contemplates the provision of a single piece of magnetized rubber of similarmaterial, such as plastic, which grips the pencil both elastically and frictionally, and which can be placed against any ferrous object so as to hold the pencil in any desired position. More particularly, the invention contemplates a construction such that the magnetic material can .be extruded in a long strip through a suitably shaped die, cured and magnetized, and then merely cut ofi to provide the individual holding members.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description especiallywhen taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

in the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows in perspective a pencil holder according to the invention with a pencil held thereby in position on a ferrous surface;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section through the holder on an enlarged scale; and I 7 FIG. 3 is a plan view thereof.

As shown in the drawing, the device is a single piece of magnetized rubber or rubber-like material, having a central section 2 with a substantially flat surface 4 adapted to rest against the surface of a ferrous object, and outwardly flaring wings 6 which have inwardly turned upper ends 8, leaving an opening 10 through the center of the body in which a pencil 12 can be inserted. The axis of this opening is parallel to the plane of the surface 4. The opening 10 is made of a size preferably slightly 3,,l5ll,372 Patented Dec. 1, 1964 "ice placed against a ferroussurface, the pencil will be held thereon.

The article may be produced by expressing through a die having the cross-section shown in FIG. 2 a rubberlike material which is capable of being magnetized, by

reason-of the inclusion of suitable metallic particles. The

extruded strip is cured, magnetized and the individual holders are cut oil from it. Thus the production is quite inexpensive and simple.

While I have described herein some embodiments of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not I intend to limit myself thereby except within the scope of the claims hereto or hereinafter appended,

I claim:

1. A magnetic holder for a slender elongated'article comprising a body of magnetized rubber-like material having a substantially flat side for engagement with a errous metal surface'and having spaced wings projecting away from the flat side with their free ends inwardly turned towards each other to form between the wings a generally cylindrical opening of a size and shape toengage the article frictionally and resiliently, the longitudinal axis of the opening extending substantially parallel to the plane of the hat side, the free ends of the wings being spaced apart to provide a slot therebetween.

2. A magnetic holder for a slender elongated article comprising a body of magnetized rubber-like material having a substantially flat side for engagement with a ferrous metal surface and having spaced wings projecting awayfrorn the fiat side with their free ends inwardly turned towards each other to form between the wings a generally cylindrical opening of a size and shape to engage the article frictionally and resiliently, the longitudinal axis of the opening extending substantially parallel to theplane of the flat side, the free ends of the wings being spaced apart by an angle around the said axis of about 2 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Baerrnann 317-458 JOHN F. BURNS, Primary Examiner. SAMUEL BERNSTEIN, E. JAMES SAX, Examiners. 

1. A MAGNETIC HOLDER FOR A SLENDER ELONGATED ARTICLE COMPRISING A BODY OF MAGNETIZED RUBBER-LIKE MATERIAL HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SIDE FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A FERROUS METAL SURFACE AND HAVING SPACED WINGS PROJECTING AWAY FROM THE FLAT SIDE WITH THEIR FREE ENDS INWARDLY TURNED TOWARDS EACH OTHER TO FROM BETWEEN THE WINGS A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL OPENING OF A SIZE AND SHAPE TO ENGAGE THE ARTICLE FRICTIONALLY AND RESILIENTLY, THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE OPENING EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF THE FLAT SIDE, THE FREE ENDS OF THE WINGS BEING SPACED APART TO PROVIDED A SLOT THEREBETWEEN. 